Apparatus for cutting sockets in artificial limbs.



I. I. McCANN. APPARATUS FOR CUTTING SOCKETS IN ARTIFICIAL LIMBS.

APPLICATION FILED DEC.3I. 1 91?- 1,294,683.

Patented Feb. 18, 1919.

3 SHEETS-SHEET I.

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J. J. MQEANN.

cumme SOCKETS IN ARTIFICIAL HMBS.

APPARATUS FOR APPLICATION FILED DEC-3h 1917.

{lIIIHIIIHIII 11mm? Ingwzio J .I. J. McCANN. APPARATUS FOR CUTTING SOCKETS IN ARTIFICIAL LIMBS.

APPLICATION FILED DEC.3I, I9I7.

, Patented Feb. 18, 1919.

SHEET 3.

3 SHEETS JOHN J. MGCANN, OF BURLINGTON, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO JOHN J. MQCANN COMPANY, INCORPORATED, 0F BURLINGTON, NEW'JERSEY.

Specification 01. Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 18, 1919.

Application filed December 31, 1917. Serial No. 209,646.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN J. MoCANN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Burlington, in the county of Burlington and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements 111 Apparatus for Cutting Sockets in Artificial Limbs, of which the following 1s a specification. r

One object of my invention is to provide apparatus which will quickly and smoothly bore or hollow out artificial limbs so as to attain-in the following manner, reference being had to the accompanying drawings in which I Figure 1 is a front elevation of alathe having my improved apparatus thereon,

Fig. 2 is a top plan View of Fig. 1,

Fig. 3 is a sectional end elevation taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2,

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary elevation of a ring-shape bearing which I preferably employ, and

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of a pivoted table which forms a part of my invention and which in turn forms a bearing for the boring means.

Referring to the drawing, 1 represents the frame of a lathe which has a bed 2 having longitudinally extending ribs 3 on its top which are spaced apart and provide guides for means hereinafter described. A rotatable head chuck 4 is adapted to engage one end of and rotate the wood or other article 5 which is to be bored. As illustrated, the article 5 is in the form of a cylindrical piece of wood'which is to be drilled and shaped into the form of an artificial limb.

The end of the artificial limb 5. which is opposite the head chuck 4-, is supported by a bearing 6 which is substantially ringshape and made in two sections 7 and 8 (see particularly Figs. 3 and 1). The sections 7 and 8 are hinged at 9, and a pivoted bolt 10 is adapted to clamp the two sections together. Each of the sections 7 and 8 has arms 11 forming guides for bars 12 which have anti-friction rollers 13 at their inner ends adapted to engage the outer surface of the wooden limb 5 and thereby support the latter during its rotation.

The bars 12 are adjustably movable by hand-operated screws 14 so that the antifriction rollers 13 can be moved to accommodate wooden limbs of various diameters.

A carriage 15 is adapted to slide longitudinally of the bed 2 along the guiding ribs 3 and power can be applied to move this carriage in said direction in the usual manner from a front driving shaft 16' or by means ofa hand wheel 17 which has a gear 18 operatively connected thereto which engages a toothed rack 19 on the front face of the bed 2. The carriage 15 on its upper surface has two rails 20 spaced apart, each rail having a central rib 21 projecting-upwardly therefrom and extending transversely of the bed 2.

- A secondary carriage 22 is mounted above the primary carriage 15 and has two rails 23 of similar construction as the rails 20. The rails 23 are secured to the lower surface of the secondary carriage 22 and have their central ribs extending downwardly. Two roller chains 24 are provided and are interposed between respectiverails 20 on the primary carriage 15 and rails 23 on the secondary carriage 22, the arrangement being such that the central ribs of the rails engage the rollers 25 of the chains. Thus the chains form an extended roller bearing for the secondary carriage on the primary carriage so'that the secondary carriage is movably supported on the primary carriage and is free to move transversely of the direction of movement of the primary carriage on the bed 2.

A table 26 is pivotally secured at 27 to the secondary carriage 22 and a bolt 28 on the secondary carriage extends through a slot 29 in the table so that the table 26 can be secured in various pivotal positions to the secondary carriage 22. The table 26 has bearings 30 for a rotatable boring or cutting rod 31 which extends beyond the carriages and table and has a cutter 32 thereon which is adapted to cut into the end 33 of the artificial limb 5 in a manner hereinafter more fully described. 'The table 26 also provides a support fora superstructure or standard 34: upon which 1s mounted an electrically driven motor 35. The standard 34 includes relatively narrow legs 34 which ar'eaviclely spaced-to permit cleaning therebetween and also to permit ready access, for repair or other purposes, to the adjacent parts lncludlng the boring rod and its bearings. A dr1ving belt 36 operatively connects a grooved pulley 37 on the motor shaft 38 wlth a pulley 39 on the boring rod 31.

A rotatable shaft 40 which, as illustrated, is rotatably connected with the head chuck 4- by means of gears 4:1, 42, and 43, serves to rotate a pattern 44:, said pattern beingrotatably supported at one end by a tail stock 45 and at its other end being secured by a chuck 46 or other suitable means to one end of the shaft 40.

An anti-friction roller 4:7 which forms a model or pattern follower is supported at one end of a screw-threaded bar 48, the latterbeing mounted in a standard 4-9 and provided avith adjusting screws 50. The follower 47 is adapted to engage the outer surface of the pattern 14:, as clearly shown in Figs. 2 and 3, and to hold this follower 47 in contact with the pattern trt, I preferably provide a chain 51 which is secured to the secondary carriage 22 at one end and at its other end is provided with a weight 52. The-chain 51 passes over an idler 53 so that the weight always moves the secondary carriage and with it the table and follower roller 4:7 so that the latter is in constant engagement with the pattern. The pattern 44 represents the shape of the'bore to be made within the artificial limb 5, in other Wordsthe pattern 44 or a part thereof represents the stump of the amputated limb which is to be finally fitted within the finished artificial limb 5. In the operation of myinvention, .when the lathe is started, the head chuck 4 and shafts 16 and 40 are rotated and the motor 35 is'started to cause the rotation of the boring rod 31 and cutter 32. This action causes the primary carriage 15 to move in a direction toward the head chuck 4 and with it to move the boring rod 31 and the cutter 32 which cuts into the end 33 of the artificial limb 5 and due to the rotation of the latter the cutter cuts deeper and deeper into the artificial limb due to the movement of the primary carriage 15, as above stated. 'At the same time the follower 4:7 by engagement with the rotating pattern 44 causes the secondary carriage 22 and table 26 to be moved transversely of the direction of movement of the primary carriage, and since this transverse movement is transmitted to the boring rod 41 and cutter 32, the latter will cut in a path prescribed by the contour of theouter surface of the pattern 14 and hence thehollow or bore of the artificial limb 5 will correspond exactly to the shape of said pattern.

If in the course of the cutting the artificial limb and especially .when cutting irregular shapes, it is found that the boring rod will not permit the cutter 32 to enter at a sufiicient angle to undercut portions, for example, the table 26 can be moved on its pivot 27, thus moving the axis of-the boring-rod 31 at an angle to the axis of rotation of the artificial limb 5. This is an extremely important part f my invention since it enables a person to cut to a great depth and at the same time provides'undercut portions as is often necessary in work of this type. At the same time the cutter Will cut smoothly to the greatest extent of the boreaso that there are no ragged or rough portions at the extreme inner end of the bore.

Furthermore, by providing a secondary carriage and mounting it, as 7 above described, on the chains 24:, the secondary carriage 22 freely responds in movementby the pattern l-t and a simple inexpensive-construction is thus provided in Which the parts can be quickly placed in position or removed for cleaning and repair.

The bearing 6 which supports the end 33 of the artificial. limb" 5 is 'adjustably secured by lugs 54 to the bed 2 and so that it can be slid longitudinally along the guiding ribs 3. i i

I also preferably provide means forlockmg the secondary carriage to the primary carriage and, as illustrated, this means consists of a link 55 which is bolted at 56 tothe secondary carriage and is'pr'ovided with an elongated slot 57 through which extends a stud bolt 58, the latter beingmounted on the primary carriage. A .wing nut 59 is provided on the outer end-of the studbolt and serves, when tightened, to secure'the link against the shoulder 60 of the stud bolt thereby securing the secondary carriage 22 to the primary carriage 15. It will be understood of course that when thus secured the secondary carriage will not be under the control of the pattern and the secondary carriage would only be locked, in the above mentioned manner, when it is'desired that the cutter 32 shall material.

Great speed can be impartedto the cutter by having the direct drive fromthe-motor 35 and this fact, together with the smoothness of cut attaine'd 'by the arrangement of the parts, as above described, provides extremely efficient apparatus.

WVhile I have described my invention as taking a particular'form, it will be underbore straight into the:

stood that the various parts of my invention may be changed ,without departing from the spirit thereof, and hence I do not limit myself to the precise construction set forth, but consider that I am at liberty to make such changes and alterations as fairly come with in the scope of the appended claim;

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

In apparatus of the character described, the combination of a carriage; bearings supported by said carriage; a cutting rod rotatably mounted in said bearings; a standard supported by said carriage; a motor mounted on said standard; and means operatively connecting the motor and said cut ting rod said standard including relatively narrow widely spaced legs to permit cleaning therebetween and also to permit ready access to said bearings, boring rod, and adjacent parts, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing Witnesses.

JOHN J. MoCANN. Witnesses:

MARY A. INGLAR, CHAS. E. Porrs,

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, 11.0. 

